Ethnic minority groups are at the forefront of digital communications in the UK, with high levels of mobile phone, internet and multichannel television take-up, according to new research from Ofcom.
However, the research also reveals that despite this, many people from ethnic minority groups lack confidence finding content online and are concerned about content delivered on digital communications.
The research found that under-45s tend to be more engaged with digital media. The age profile of the ethnic minority groups is significantly younger than the UK population overall which is a key factor contributing to higher take-up among them.
However, take-up of services by ethnic minority groups in this age group is also significantly different to that of the under 45s across the UK as a whole. Ethnic minorities in the under-45 age group are more likely to own a mobile phone and access digital TV and the internet (ranging from 64-73% across the groups) than the average person under 45 in the UK (67%).
There is higher engagement among C2DE households from ethnic minority groups compared with C2DE households in the UK in general.
Mobile phone take up is higher amongst adults from Indian, Pakistani, Black Caribbean and Black African groups (88-95% compared to 85% of the UK population as a whole) and Indian, Pakistani and Black African adults are far more likely to live in households with multiple device access (digital TV, mobile phone and internet) than the UK population as a whole (ranging from 62-65% compared to 53% of the UK population).
Among Indian and Pakistani adults, males are more likely to have access to the internet at home (83% and 76% compared to 66% of Black Caribbeans and 70% of Black Africans) and use a mobile phone than females (96% and 95% compared to 84% of Black Caribbeans and 88% of Black Africans).
Recent research from Hearst Digital found that more women over 45 are using the internet once a day than those aged between 16 and 24 (see New Research Looks At Women’s Online Habits).
Ofcom’s research also found that Indians and Pakistanis spend more time online than any other adults in the UK (13.5 hours per week compared to the UK average of 12.1 hours per week).
A large majority of ethnic minority groups say they use another digital device while using the internet – significantly higher than in the UK overall (94% – 96% compared to 84% of the UK population as a whole).
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